


Fifty Years Later

by ChokolatteJedi



Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Genre: Canon - Book, Computers, Dragons, Future Fic, Gen, Spaceships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-12
Updated: 2012-08-12
Packaged: 2017-11-12 02:56:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/485887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/ChokolatteJedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaxom has to finish his last duty for Aivas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fifty Years Later

**Author's Note:**

> Just finished rereading "All the Weyrs of Pern" - A little peek at Jaxom's day, fifty years in the future.

Jaxom strode towards Ruth a little more slowly than he would like, and mounted his companion with a heavy grunt. He had more respect now than ever for the riders of the bigger breeds when they got to be this age. He was, compared to many of the other Lord Holders, quite spry for his seventy-seven turns, and he attributed this to the fact that many riders lived to be over one hundred. That is, if they did not die of Threadscore.

But that was a problem they had remedied, long ago. And thirty years ago next month was the day the last Thread had fallen, _ever_ , on Pern, when all the wings had risen to fly it together. There was a gather scheduled next month, at Benden, and he knew that Masterharper Olos had composed something fantastic for the occasion, working with his mother Menolly. Jaxom was looking forward to going with Sharra, but first there was something extremely important that he had to do today.

 _We go!_ was the only warning Ruth gave him, and then they were between. Three breaths later they were emerging over the wide bustling expanse of Landing. Ruth gently backwinged and landed in front of the Technologies Crafthall.

"I'll only be a few moments," he promised as Ruth settled down to wait.

 _Unless there is a problem_ the white dragon replied pragmatically.

"Yes, well let's hope there isn't," Jaxom replied. He entered the building and fortunately spotted his quarry quickly in the bustle. "Ah! Master Pierjan, a moment please!"

Jaxom had to resist calling him lad, as the infant he had once held was now a solidly grown man in his forties who had taken after his mother's side of the family and was nearing the proportions of his late Great-Grandfather.

Pierjan strode over, smiling at his "Uncle" and wiping his hands on his sooty apron as he did. "Yes?" he asked.

"I've got something to discuss with you, in private if possible," Jaxom said, eyeing the bustle around them.

"This way," Pierjan led the way to an office along the back wall. Once they were both seated, he asked, a bit more formally, "Now, what can I help you with Lord Jaxom?"

"I need to borrow a supplementary Oxygen tank and a suit for a day," Jaxom stated without preamble.

Pierjan frowned in surprise. That was an unexpected request now, with the old colony ship abandoned for the last decade or so. "May I ask why?"

Jaxom had been prepared for this; indeed he had had fifty years to come up with a suitable explanation. "I need to go up to the Yoko and retrieve some printouts that I can't get down here."

The Mastertechnician looked at him for a long moment, but then smiled a smile so like his father's that it made Jaxom grin. "Alright, I'll go with it." He grabbed a ring of keys from the desk and then strode from the room.

Jaxom blew out a small sigh of relief and then followed the younger man as they left the Hall and made their way down the street to the suit storage facility.

"You grab one that'll fit you and I'll get some of the apprentices to load the tank on Ruth," Pierjan offered.

"Thank you," Jaxom replied. Alone, he looked through the suits and quickly found one that would fit him now. He hadn't worn one of these in almost two decades, but as he buckled himself in, the old familiar motions came with ease.

 _I am ready_ Ruth let him know just as he was finishing. Grabbing his helmet, Jaxom strode from the building, making sure to secure the door behind him.

When he arrived at Ruth, Pierjan was waiting with a sheaf of papers. "I'm not sure if we emptied the printer supply when we closed down the zero grav medical program," he explained. "Will this be enough?"

"Gracious plenty, and my thanks," Jaxom said. He pulled himself back onto Ruth, avoiding banging his leg on the tank, and secured his helmet before leaning down to accept the clean paper sheets. _Let's go,_ he told Ruth when he was ready.

He waved at Pierjan and the Craftsman backed up. Then they sprang forth, Ruth disappearing _between_ when they were a few wingspans off the ground. They reappeared on the bridge of the Yoko, as they had so many times in the past. Jaxom deftly unstrapped the tank and gave it an easy push towards the door. Then he released himself from his straps, appreciating how easily his aged body moved in this weightless environment.

Ruth immediately removed himself to the window, pleased to be able to see the planet from this height once again. Jaxom floated towards the console, where he left the sheaf of papers drifting beside the chair. He quickly tapped in the codes to activate the air support system. He knew from Sharra, who had been involved in the medical program, that the algae cultivation had been dismantled again when the ship was abandoned. However, they had left full Oxygen tanks hooked up when the bridge was powered down, so it should only be a matter of hours before the bridge was habitable. The one he had brought was simply a replacement, to replenish what he used.

Once the life support was reactivated, Jaxom gave himself a judicious push towards the door. He connected with the railing perfectly and anchored himself with one arm before reaching out to grab the bobbing Oxygen tank. It only took a few minutes to strap the tank down in the annex, and then Jaxom returned to the console.

Checking the chrono on the wall, Jaxom saw that he had an easy five minutes left before Ruth would need a breath, so he quickly accessed the printer facility. They had indeed emptied the trays, and he was grateful for Pierjan's memory and foresight. Once it was in order, he pulled up the red star's orbit and printed a copy, just to test the system.

It worked perfectly, so he left the program up and, grabbing the paper, pushed himself to Ruth's side. He stared at Pern for a moment, long lost memories of this space filing his mind, before Ruth asked _Is it time to go?_

"Yes. Are you alright?"

_Yes. But I would like to breathe again._

Jaxom smiled and gently reached out to grab the riding straps and pull himself into place. "When we come back to shut it all down you can stare for longer," he promised.

Ruth acknowledged that with a hum before winking _between_.

As they soared over the beach at Paradise River, Jaxom smiled. Of course Ruth had known that he would prefer to come here, rather than return to Landing. Ruth bugled the announcement of their arrival, and Jaxom quickly removed his helmet and gloves. He would visit Menolly and Sebell and the others for a little while until it was safe to return to the ship to finally finish up his last assignment from Aivas. He had to swap in the full tank, and let Ruth have his gawk.

And of course, Jaxom thought with another small smile, he would have to retrieve his gloves.


End file.
